Striken
by messed up stargazer
Summary: I liked the ending. don't get me wrong, but I wondered what would happen if Jack had been hit by the hammer Pitch had in his hands at the end. More summary in bold in story.


**Not that I didn't like the ending of the movie, which I am now obsessed with, but I wondered what would've happened if Jack had actually gotten hit with the nightmare sand hammer. Sadly, I'm just that cruel and more so to my favorite characters. Hope you like it, and the darker ending for those who like it, read the alternate ending. You choose whether you want to read it. I just couldn't decide which ending to use so I used both of them.**

"Jack look out!" Bunny cried as Pitch swung his nightmare-sand hammer. But Jack turned too late and it connected with the young man's head, causing the boy's eyes to flutter shut. Jack fell to the ground, fast asleep. But as Pitch readied himself for the killing blow to Jack's unprotected chest, he was stopped by a golden sand whip. The whip pulled him over the school buses and dragged him over the road until he stopped. Pitch looked up and saw a Guardian he thought dead. Sandman. Sandy gave Pitch a left hook which sent him flying high into the sky. Sandy smiled at the children who had gathered around him before pulling Pitch down. Dream sand fluttered around Pitch's form, butterflies. The other Guardians applauded Sandy and rushed over to him.

"Man, are you a sight for sore eyes." Bunny said, smiling broadly.

"Wait. Where's Jack?" Jaime asked, looking around for his new friend.

The Guardians looked around but didn't find Jack. The teen was missing. It was Bunny who remembered first, his breath leaving him quickly. Without a word, Bunny ran over to where the school buses were, jumping over them in one hop. Jack was still sleeping, curled up in a ball, a frown etched into his face. His staff lay next to him, dark and useless. Bunny knelt next to the boy, careful of any injuries the boy might have and picked the young boy up, holding him the same way he'd held Sophie not even a day ago.

"Wake up, mate." Bunny whispered, his voice low as to not startle the boy.

Jack whimpered, stuck in the grips of a terrible nightmare.

North knelt next to them, Toothiana flitting around and the reformed Sandman watched with pained looks on their faces. Jaime and his friends caught up with the Guardians and stared with horror plastered onto their faces.

Jaime ran to Jack and shook him. "Wake up Jack."

Jack moaned, fear coming off of him in waves.

Suddenly, Pitch was there, awake and laughing cruelly.

"As long as that boy stays asleep, I will always have my own one light." Pitch cackled and faded from sight, yet he still stayed to watch his one and only victory.

"Sandy, you gotta do something. He can't be in a nightmare forever." Bunny pleaded.

Sandy frowned and conjured up some dream sand. Sandy shooed Bunny away and Bunny gently sat the immortal teen down. When Bunny was at a safe distance, Sandy shot the ball of sand into Jack's face. Jack sneezed and his frown melted into a smile, little dolphins swimming around in his head. Guardians and kids alike cheered. Jack's staff glowed with ice designs and the wind let it drift over to the boy. Jack grabbed it and snuggled it into his chest. Pitch screamed but no one cared, or even heard him. Pitch was absolutely powerless; his last light had gone out. The nightmares Pitch had worked so long to create had been changed into dreams by Jaime and his friends and they had disappeared to go to work around the world, bringing smiles to the sleeping faces of children everywhere.

"You've lost Pitch." Bunny grinned.

With the last of his power, Pitch disappeared back into his hole in the ground.

"Sandman, when's Jack gonna wake up?" Jaime asked, still looking concerned.

Sandy shrugged, images flying over his head.

"I think he means he had to give Jack a pretty big dose of dream sand and he's not sure how much went to destroying the nightmare and how much is going to keep Jack asleep." Toothiana said after hearing Baby Tooth chirp.

"I didn't know she spoke sand." North remarked, laughing.

"Neither did I." Tooth chuckled.

"Come on. We've got to get the ankle-biter back to the Pole. He'll rest up better with the cold." Bunny said, effectively ending the moment.

Sandy nodded and the children sighed. The elves, yetis, eggs of both sizes, and baby teeth fairies after each child proclaimed they would always believe in Jack Frost. Sandy blessed them with little droplets of sand and the children dropped off to sleep easily.

Bunny gathered the sleeping teen into his arms and lifted Jack easily and carefully.

"Get in." North said motioning to his sleigh. "I do not think our young lad would like slipping and sliding through a tunnel."

"Kid always hated my tunnels. Jealousy is my theory." Bunny laughed but clutched the sleeping teen tighter to his chest. He'd never admit it but the little show pony was growing on him. However, that doesn't mean he was forgiven for the blizzard of '68.

The Guardians climbed into North's sleigh and once everyone was aboard, and Tooth made sure Jack wouldn't fall out of Bunny's embrace, Bunny promised her he wasn't letting go of the bloody ankle-biter for any reason, and they sped off. After a quick snow globe portal, they were back in the Pole. As soon as they landed, North started spouting off orders to the yetis.

"Prepare room, one near window, open window and let it be cold." North ordered and the yetis scrambled to do what he said. Only one stayed, eyeing the young teen in Bunny's arms.

"He's allowed to be here, Phil." North chuckled and Phil shrugged before mumbling to himself and going into the fortress. Bunny hopped along, following Phil, careful not to jostle the young lad and went on until Phil had stopped at a room. Bunny tried and failed to suppress a shiver as Phil opened the door. The room was bare and lifeless, the exact way Jack would've liked it, Bunny thought. Bunny gently laid Jack on the bed where Jack sprawled out, making himself completely at home. Bunny ran a quick hand through Jack's hair, hoping to wake the boy.

Nothing happened.

"Come on snowflake." Bunny muttered.

Jack slept on.

"Sandy, do you have any waking power?" Tooth asked from behind.

Bunny jumped and then scolded himself for it. Jack had become friends with them all, and it was no surprise that they would've followed him into the room.

Sandy had shaken his head, frowning but still somehow looking optimistic. Guardian of dreams gave you that power, Bunny guessed.

"He'll wake up. And knowing him, he'll take his sweet time until we all get worried and then he'll pop up and annoy us." Bunny assured.

It took three days for that to happen. None of the Guardians had left Jack's side while the boy slept and that's who Jack found as he opened his eyes, waking from a wonderful dream of dolphins and swimming with his sister. He would never forget his sister. Never again.

"Hey! He's awake! I told you he'd wake up." Bunny announced, smirking.

"What happened?" Jack asked wincing as his head throbbed dully as he sat up.

"Pitch got you in the head but we managed to save your bloody show pony butt." Bunny smirked wider.

Only then, did Jack notice someone specific in the crowd. He locked eyes with Sandy, his eyes wide and disbelieveing.

"You're alive!" Jack shouted, breaking into a huge smile. Jack remembered the nightmare, watching his sister fall into the ice, the other Guardians not helping but laughing at him and then it had changed. Dolphins and swimming with his sister who was smiling, no longer afraid. Sandy's work. "You- you saved me."

Sandy shrugged with a small smile on his face.

"Took your time, eh mate?" Bunny laughed, thumping him on the back.

"I bet I beat you." Jack quipped heartily.

"To what?" Bunny asked innocently.

Jack stumbled a little but before muttering, "Um, uh, some- something. I beat you to something."

"Are you sure you got your head on straight?" Bunny laughed.

"Mine is on straighter than yours will ever be." Jack replied, grinning mischievously.

"Yeah, frostbite's fine." Bunny shrugged off.

"Wait. What happened to Jaime?" Jack asked.

"We sent him home. Now, are you ready to make it official?" North asked who held the Guardian book in his hands.

Jack straightened and said, "You bet."

* * *

**Alternate ending to the alternate ending.**

"As long as that boy stays asleep, I will always have my own one light." Pitch cackled and faded from sight, yet he still stayed to watch his one and only victory.

"Sandy, you gotta do something. He can't be in a nightmare forever." Bunny pleaded.

Sandy frowned and conjured up some dream sand. Sandy shooed Bunny away and Bunny gently sat the immortal teen down. When Bunny was at a safe distance, Sandy shot the ball of sand into Jack's face. But Jack's expression hadn't changed. If anything, the frown had gotten deeper. Pitch laughed before fading away with his victory.

"No. Come on, Jack. I believe on you." Jaime tried.

"We all do." Cupcake affirmed.

Jack twisted away from the voices of the children, flinching as if they were painful.

"He won. The Boogeyman won." Jaime sobbed, tears building up in his eyes.

"No! Jack will beat this! This snowflake ain't giving up without a fight." Bunny tried to inspire confidence in the boy but it didn't console the boy.

"Will you tell me if he wakes up?" Jaime pleaded.

"When, lad." North promised.

Jaime nodded and Sandman hit each of the children with dream sand and the elves, yetis, eggs, and baby teeth collected the kids to take them home. Bunny took Jack into his arms, and Jack whimpered in pain. It dam near broke the Pooka's heart. He hated it that his new friend was now trapped in an everlasting nightmare. He tapped his foot, opening a tunnel.

"I'm taking him to the Pole. He'll feel more at home with the cold." Bunny announced.

No one questioned him.

"Isn't there anything you can do for him Sandy? He looks so... frightened." Tooth squeaked out when they were in the room North gave Jack at the Pole. Jack's staff lay on the bed but Jack couldn't touch it. It had been shot out of his hand when Tooth had tried to lace Jack's fingers around it.

Sandy shook his head sadly. Images slowly formed, of a nightmare and a snowflake chained together. He pulled on both but neither broke the chain.

"Come on snowflake. I need you. Who else is gonna be the subject of my pranks and witty banter?" Bunny beseeched the sleeping teen.

Jack made no move to prove he heard the Pooka.

"Come on, Jack." Tooth whispered, tears flooding her eyes once more, as they had for hours.

"Lad, the world needs you." North murmured.

"We need you." Bunny admitted.

Jack slept on, oblivious to his newfound friends' cries.

* * *

Jaime waited for years for any sign of Jack Frost. He told his children and his grandchildren of Jack Frost, the legendary creator of snow days, saver of the world, Guardian of Fun, and most importantly, Jaime's best friend. He kept Jack's legend alive. He believed in Jack with all his heart. Even until the day Jaime died, he believed in Jack Frost.

But the message never came that Jack had woken.

**Like it? Hate it? Have an opinion on the endings? Review!**


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